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LIFESTYLE
By Saswati Borthakur
27 September, 2016
Gaurang Shah (Pic Courtesy: Google Images)
The ace designer, Gaurang Shah, and his label ' Gaurang' need no introduction. Gaurang is a self taught designer who works with a myriad of textiles like silk, Khadi and cotton. He is known as a 'master of weaves' and is credited with reviving many traditional weaves and motifs, which have been forgotten in this age of digital prints and powerlooms . He opened his first store ' Gaurang ' in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. Subsequently, he started retailing couture from his stores in Mumbai, Bangaluru, Chennai and Kolkata. Since then, many A-Listers like Vidya Balan, Tapsee Pannu, Kirron Kher, Sarah Jane Dias etc have adorned his heritage heirloom sarees.
Handloom sarees and dress material
Woman wrapped in one of Gaurav's creations.
So, when I came to know about him holding an exhibition in my city, Lucknow, I leapt at the opportunity. This exhibition was held at The Renaissance Hotel, on the 10th of September, 2016. Rows and rows of breathtakingly beautiful garments adorned the huge banquet hall.
Woman wrapped in one of Gaurav's creations.
The repertoire consisted of Anarkalis, Kurtas, Kurtis, Ghaghras, dupattas and not to mention those exquisite sarees.The ensembles were created from traditional textiles like Muga, Kanjeevaram, Paithani, Banarasi, Patan-Patola and Khadi. His fabrics provide an alternative to embroidered chiffon and georgette fabrics and also to the technique of prints, appliqué and attachment of borders to adorn the sarees.
The garments exhibited showed a reintroduction of motifs of flying birds, jamdaani, Paithani, Kalamkari, Mughal and temple art. The patrons were keenly helped by his staff by making them understand the nuances of each garment. Many well known personalities were seen trying out the outfits. Since these are high-end garments, the price tags might be a little steep for the general public. However, such exhibitions are very welcome as they bring us closer to our roots.
